Culture of Corruption: The Corruption of
Culture*
Corruption benefits the
political and economic elites as it facilitates their sell-out and
exploitation of our country's human and natural resources. The victims of
corruption are the Filipino masses.
By the
Concerned Artists of the Philippines
Posted by Bulatlat
The government
pinpoints "culture of corruption" as the one that "breeds the vicious
cycles of poverty and underdevelopment."
Let us first define
"culture of corruption" by its popular conception, which is: corruption
persists and is so prevalent because most in the bureaucracy and the
general public condones and/or tolerates it.
The culture of
corruption in the general public is debatable. Empirical observation will
show that no Filipino will say, and believe, that corruption is good for
the country. However, this does not mean that these same people will not
bribe their way out of the bureaucratic maze or out of trouble. Then
again, this does not mean that they agree with or condone this system; in
fact, it is common to hear these same people cursing it. Just that, it
works because it is the rule.
It is the rule
because investigations or complaints leading to conclusions are the
exception. (Conviction rate at the OMB is a mere 16 percent.) Complaints
follow the way of the maze. Litigation is expensive. The judicial system
is slow (aside from being not so clean itself). And, chances are, the
position of the accused is directly proportional to his or her influence
with higher officials in the bureaucracy.
It is therefore not
accurate to conclude that the culture of corruption exists in the general
public. The people do not tolerate corruption. Corruption disempowers the
people. Ordinary citizens are discouraged to file complaints or
officially register their dissent because one needs financial and temporal
resources to do this. (In more serious cases, one needs a private army.)
The inability to contest or the regular fruitlessness of actions against
those in power lead to apathy and passivity- culture traits that EO 314
wants to reverse.
Culture of corruption in the bureaucracy
In the lower echelons
of the bureaucracy, corruption takes the form of encouraging and accepting
bribes to facilitate transactions or to manipulate expenditures. The
rank-and-file government employees who seek reforms in this kind of
anomalous system are presented with the same dilemma as the general
public.
With the elite
government officials, corruption is in a more sophisticated style. These
involve grandiose schemes and happen in luxurious venues. It takes the
form of influence peddling, rent seeking, and/or lobbying. The
transactions are then legalized as these are translated into MoAs,
executive orders, administrative orders or republic acts. As the deals
are legalized, charges of corruption take the defensive position.
For example, on May
7, 2004, Mike Velarde's El Shaddai granted the "Shepherd's Blessing" for
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s presidential candidacy. On Nov. 10, P221 million
was released to the El Shaddai. About two months earlier, the President
appointed Mel Robles, former El Shaddai spokesperson, as administrator of
the Light Railway Transit Authority.
This is corruption by
definition (the use of public office for personal gains), but it will be
hard, even impossible, to prove that it is legally.
The culture of
corruption exists and is nurtured by the political and economic elites of
society. Their political and/or economic status is their passport and
visa to power. Personal gains earned through the abuse of their political
and economic status is their commonality. This is the reason why, even if
they hate each other, they have to protect each other.
Not one high-ranking
politician, not even the presidents who were ousted, has ever been
convicted for corruption, much more for plunder.
Corruption of Culture
The "values formation
approach" (EO314) of GMA's anti-corruption campaign will not instill
"patriotism or love of country" because it was designed for the wrong
reason - to satisfy the requirements of APEC and other institutional
proponents of globalization.
On Nov. 21, 2004, at
the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference in Santiago,
Chile, the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, issued a fact sheet
entitled, "U.S. Actions at the APEC Leaders' Meeting:
Expanding Trade and
Fighting Corruption." The opening sentence reads:
"Today, President
Bush and other APEC Leaders took action to increase global and
Asia-Pacific trade, promote policies that spur economic growth, and fight
corruption."
GMA's MTPDP 2004-2010
Chapter 21. Part II reads:
"To improve the
country's ability to attract foreign investments means building an
effective government bereft of graft and corruption…"
We would like to
believe that an anti-corruption drive is a positive step because it will
improve and facilitate public service. Unfortunately, GMA's
anti-corruption campaign is grounded on the wrong foundation - attracting
foreign investments; meaning, attracting capital or money. Values based on
money corrupts.
The government's
anti-corruption drive seeks people to be honest, modest, and possess good
work ethics to please foreign investors. It therefore places the
standards of "good" and "positive" values as anything that satisfies the
requirements of free trade or globalization, of corporate/capitalist
private interests.
This is a corruption
of culture for people whose values are founded on the preservation of
national patrimony in the interest of the people. For people in this
framework, what is "good" and "positive" are those that prioritizes
national interests before self and foreign interests.
Conclusion
Any anti-corruption
campaign by the government will result in merely superficial effects,
because it is contradictory to the nature of its existence. With the
present system, how political and economic power is gained and maintained
is at the root of corruption. Pervasive corruption promotes the culture
of corruption among the elites and reinforces the disempowerment of the
masses. The cycle continues, as the culture of corruption and a
disempowered people perpetuate elitist political and economic power.
Corruption benefits
the political and economic elites as it facilitates their sell-out and
exploitation of our country's human and natural resources. The victims of
corruption are the Filipino masses. This is the reason why we should
persist in countering corruption.
However, it is of
utmost importance to extend our efforts to actively resisting unequal
treaties, foreign dictates, the exploitative political and economic
system, and the corruption of culture. These actions nurture love of
country, honesty, integrity, and other positive values based on pursuing
the interest of the people and our nation. This is a concretization of a
holistic anti-corruption drive.
*This is an edited
version of the paper presented to the National Study Conference on
Corruption. Jan. 14-15,
2005, UPCSWCD. Reference: Julie L.Po, secretary general, CAP, #65A 10th
Ave., Cubao, Quezon City.
Email:
sikat@philonline.com.
Jan. 21, 2005
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